


Oyster Program

by orphan_account



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gem Egg Hell, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 17:18:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5793226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Quartz, bored and lonely, enters her Pearl into a program designed to give higher class gems with no time on their hands, the pregnancy experience. Pearls leave their owners for a month, and return carrying a clutch of gems. </p><p>Read on and see ypir favorite gems suffer brutaly: Pearl; because she has no voice, and Rose; because she's to naive to read the signs. </p><p>#1 A:U/// Sorry guys, I really didn't mean to do this to you.<br/>#2 A:U/// I edited out some of the awful grammer and spelling mistakes I made. Come check it out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oyster Program

**Author's Note:**

> Everything begins somewhat cheerfully, I mean, there's obvious undertones that something's not quite right. Break down the walls and see what's realy happening to our favorite Bird Mom from the perspective of Rose. (For the first chapter at least) Sorry, I type mostly ok but my keyboard is pretty crappy and autocorrect is too because why not? But hey, Get Gud! XD

* * *

**"Pregnancy and your Pearl"**

* * *

Rose Quartz squealed as she thumbed her way through the guide, making excited glances at the Pearl she owned. She was intrigued by the thought that life could be created so naturally, such a stark contrast to the artificially made gems of the Kindergarden. Admittedly , it was a very strange concept. There was only one planet she knew of whose lifeforms shared a birthing process similar to that of Homeworld. Rose, herself, was born from the soil off Homeworld, fully formed by the time she emerged.

  
She shifted in her chair and stole a glance at the Pearl that stood before her. Rose regarded its impassive expression and wondered what thoughts passed through its mind. Pearls were made and sold as mindless drones, whether it could even understand emotion puzzled her. She found herself testing the Pearl frequently whenever she tired of her work. She’d play simple games in hopes of teasing out a voice or an opinion; It had never worked yet.

  
**"Isn't this so exciting?"**

Rose mused aloud, skimming through a few more pages, before losing interest. She set the manual quietly down on her console and focused, once more, onto her Pearl.

  
Pearl's rapt attention caught the minute gesture.

_"Yes, since this pleases you, I am sure it's of interest."_

The response was painfully mechanical. Rose's eyes wrinkled at the wording, as she searched for something elusive, before turning away.

  
It was silly to expect the servant gem's demeanor to change. Gem gestation was something envious to Rose. Under Diamond Regulations, it was strictly prohibited for a gem of her stature to be out of commision long enough to carry to full-term. She found herself frustrated that now a Pearl that couldn't even value the privilege it had been given would be able to have something she herself could not. Rose picked the guide back up and smoothed her hand over the cover.

  
**"I'm heading back to my room, Pearl, you are expected to uphold all of your usual duties. Please notify me immediately if you feel anyway unable to do so."**

Rose walked away, clenching the book tightly in her hands.

* * *

  
_**Your Pearl has started the first step to producing a cluster of gemling Pearls.Throughout this process, there will be several noticeable changes occurring, and you may witness some unusual behavioral displays. We will explain all throughout the program laid out inside.**_  
_**Thank you for choosing us to chart and guide you through Pearl: Oyster Addition!**_

* * *

  
The first century, Pearl operated as usual. Nothing was odd or unusual. Then, around year twelve, Rose first witnessed a change. She was filing and sending several status updates on the newest Kindergarden's installed when she heard a crash. Immediately Rose shot up from her desk and swiveled around to see Pearl hovering over a shelf. Pearl had been cleaning it when she fumbled, knocking it over. Now she stood over a mess of scattered books and papers that had been tossed to the floor.

  
**"Pearl, is everything alright?"**

She could have sworn she had seen the beginnings of a scowl cross Pearl's face before it smoothed over into blank neutrality.

  
_"I apologize, Madam Rose, I made a miscalculation."_

  
Rose was thrilled, with the help of that guide she purchased, she learned Pearls are expected to became somewhat clumsy around a century to a half. It was speculated that either the subtle mass changes threw their balance off, or the energy drained for gem production made them tired. However, she decided to tease the gem a little more by playing ignorant .

  
**"A miscalculation, how so?"**

  
Pearl turned her attention from Rose to the floor, and started sorting the papers into stacks and piles.

_"It appears the shelf was not fastened_ properly, _this caused it to be unable to withstand additional pressure."_

Rose felt a little disappointed, teasing wasn't at all fun with Pearls. They never flustered. Still, her Pearl was showing signs of gemling development, she'd have to be sure to adjust Pearl's maintenance protocols, it would be unwise for it to be near something of value while its motor functions were impaired

** "That's unfortunate, please, do be careful from now on though. I think it's for the best you stop any duties that have you at risk of hurting yourself. You are carrying gems at the moment, the program would have a fit if you lost the clutch to carelessness this early on." **

Pearl nodded in affirmation and finished cleaning. None of them spoke again for the rest of the evening.

* * *

It was entertaining, Pearl seemed to be restless, rocking on heels and scanning the surrounding area. Sometimes, without being given a direct order, the Pearl would break from sentry duties to start organizing Rose's clutter. Once time, Rose even caught the gem halt during her duties in favor of standing still for a while; however, after noticing her gaze, the Pearl resumed its work. 

Rose never did catch the gem lose balance again.

It was coming close to the third century that the gemlings started to appear, in total seven of them emerged at random around Pearl's body. They were pale pastel-coloured little things, at firsts their tiny nibs pierced the little gems skin before later they expanded and growed outward. It was also around that time when they were paired with a Rhodolite. She would watch and monitor the Pearl until it came time for extraction.

* * *

_** "It's unfortunate, the Pearl is carrying a much smaller clutch than expected. I'm sorry to say we can't use the resources to invest in this Pearl again, if you wish to enroll in the Oyster program, you'll have to find a different one for it." ** _

Rhodolite nodded to herself and prodded the emerging clutch. Overall, the developing gems looked quite healthy and soon their first checkup was done.

_** "The clutch doesn’t seem to contain any flaws, this Oyster will be able to carry until extraction, from there she'll undergo a procedure to prevent her from being implanted in the future. Again, we thank you for your investment in the program so far." ** _

Rhodolite smoothed her dress and dismissed herself; leaving Rose alone with her own thoughts.

** "Seventy more years to go, Pearl." **

The Quartz gem smiled softly,

** "Too bad this'll be your one and only clutch. I would've liked to have had more than just this." **

If Rose had looked then, she would have noticed the haunted stare in Pearl's eyes; however, it  had been years ago since she searched for such things, she had lost interest long ago.

* * *

Every century, they could expect a checkup from Rhodolite. She'd poke and prod at Pearl, even making Rose uncomfortable at times with her callousness. On occasion she'd scratch the surface of the gemling's casing, testing their durability and resilience- she'd reply when asked.

* * *

It was approaching Pearl's sixth century of carrying when she lost her first gemling, the checkup went like usual, scraping all the surfaces of the gems with a scour devise, until she paused at one. The scour had left a mark. Further inspection revealed that the once bright pink-pastel crystal had faded into a mute colour.

_** "Useless little Pearl aren't you?" ** _

The Rhodolite tsked as she reached into her toolbag, grabbing out a chisel and hammer.

_** "I'm sorry, Madam Rose, this one's no good. I ask you to consider leaving the room, several of our patrons find this proc**_ _**ess uncomfortable to watch. Such a waste too, but it must be extracted before it corrupts the others." ** _

Rose nodded, tears gathering at the edge of her eyes, as she gathered her dress around her and left. As she hurried down the corridor, she was chased by the sounds of metallic taps as the Rhodolite got to work.

* * *

Hours after the Rhodolite had left, Rose couldn’t bring herself to leave the lifeless gem. Rose cradled the delicate gem shard in her hand, tracing the little Pearl that had died at the other end. Being an immortal, it was crushing to recall how easily life could be lost. Rose, uncomfortable with such dark thoughts, found herself shying away and focusing on other things. Indeed, her Pearl still carried the potential for six new gems to replace the one that had flickered out. Staring at the lifeless crystal made her uncomfortable, but it didn't feel right throwing it away. Resolving to move on, Rose placed the little gem on the shelf in her office. In time, she forgot all about it.

* * *

Pearl's crystal gemlings were now protruding so far that Rose was amazed that Pearl kept balance so well. Certainly, it should have been bumping into things as it walked by, but Pearl had managed to not knock anything else over since the last shelving incident. Even though Rose had to admit to how well the gem maneuvered, the Pearl was almost entirely incapacitated. Rose declared Pearl cease all tasks until after the gemlings were removed. Pearl still insisted on cleaning Rose's office; initially, Rose had refused, but it seemed that the Pearl was nothing but persistent. The entire pregnancy seemed to have made it resistant to rejection. At a loss, she consulted the guide. Rose found that some Pearls seem to experience restlessness as they neared term. A few rotations later, Rose relaxed and gave in.

* * *

Pearl was nearing her last century, and already was showing signs of nesting. Pearls, the manual declared, would begin to gather objects. The majority of its time spent here on out would be in search for a location to hide its clutch. After laying, that was when the program Rose had entered ended. The company would send and gather up the newly made pearls. Although, in response to consumer demand, supposedly a trial version > was the next-step program. The company would, after taking the gemlings away to be programmed and trained, sell the gemlings back to the original investor.

It was sad that this experience was coming to an end, instead of making Rose happy, it made her wish all the harder that one day, she'd have a clutch of her own. Rose laughed and shook her head at the ridiculous thought, it would never be allowed, not to mention she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen another Quartz like herself. Any chance at her fusing with another Rose Quartz to get her own clutch seemed as unlikely as a Peridot owning a Pearl.

Pearl seemed to disappear for days at a time, Rose was worried that she might not be able to track the clutch down when it was laid. It was coming up on the last few years before Pearl would give birth. The whole program had left a hollowness inside her that, if given the chance, she wouldn’t enroll again.

* * *

Rose should have been more careful, she should have known better. All she could do now was stare at the wild eyes before her. Her once tamed Pearl claimed her office, going so far as to threaten her with a knife she had picked up. Her Pearl was simply deranged, curved in on herself, her mouth pulled back in an angry snarl. It was only a slight relief that she now knew where Pearl had settled in to nest, being a only a minor inconvenience that she would have to do her work elsewhere. With the right codes, Rose could access her work on almost any terminal.

* * *

Rose felt slightly sheepish trying to explain that her Pearl had chased her out of her own office. The Rhodolite nodded and apologized for the behavior, offering to relocate the Pearl by force if Madam Rose had wanted- she, of course, declined.

By now, Pearl was beyond what the Rhodolite could handle, so she hired a Ruby, knowing that she'd need protection. Pearl's had a habit of fiercely guarding themselves and their clutch. However volatile the gem may be, the gems she carried were an investment. Rhodolite was still required to examine them for impurities and corruption.

Quartz waited outside as the two gems slipped in, it took some time for the two of them to subdue the Pearl, but eventual they managed to back her into a corner, begrudgingly she accepted their handling. Rose quietly slipt in after the struggle and gazed at Pearl. The gem had almost reverted back into proper Pearl behavior, she seemed so calm, almost frozen. Rose began to question her thoughts on the program; overall, Pearl looked so tired and defeated. Even broken, though her gem held no cracks.

After the procedure Rhodolite turned around, revealing a black eye and a few minor cuts and bruises. The Ruby, on the other hand, was fine, albeit a little mortified for letting the Pearl get that many punches in on her contracter.

_** "Ehem" ** _

Rhodolite groaned and sighed. 

_** "Sorry about that, every Pearl tends to be somewhat difficult at this stage. Anyways, This will be our last check up, from here on out, we can expect this Oyster to give birth at any moment. However, as one last parting farewell, I'd like to inform you that my company is now offering free counseling services to control and redirect unwanted Pearl aggression. As well as to ensure the safe  delivery of the clu--" ** _

** "No, that'll be all. I will inform you when she lays." **

Rose interrupted swiftly. 

** "That won't be necessary." **

_** "No, but this is a free service, Ma’am?"  ** _

Rhodolite squinted at the Quartz gem, seemingly rattled at her brisk dismissal.

** "I know that, however, Pearl seems content to stay in the office, at this point, I think it's best if we left her alone." **

_** "I really recommend you take the offer Madam Rose." ** _

Both gems silently regarded each other, unwavering, before Rhodolite looked away with a sigh.

_** "Madam Rose, I didn't want to concern you with this, but we will probably be shutting the Oyster Program down soon. Pearls seem to become defective after giving birth, and most end up being shattered because of constant aggression. The clutch after retrieval almost always dies. We need to send in a therapist to help ensure that we give both your Pearl and its clutch have the best chance at surviving." ** _

Rose’s jaw clenched. She glowered down at the Rhodolite, too furious for words. How long had they kept this information from her? All she could see was red; however, she calmed herself down enough to ask her next question, already dreading the answer.

** "A therapist? why would my Pearl need one, they deal with emotional distress associated with past trauma and abuse?" **

****

Rhodolite winced, and stole a glance at the shocked Ruby beside her, 

_** "It seems Pearls develop an emotional range not unlike those of what a real gem might experience. There's several cases against our factory questioning the morality of our implantation method. After implantation, Pearls seem to develop a stress condition possibly related to the event. They begin to display erratic behaviors such as restlessness and irritableness. Eventually, nearing extraction, Pearls turn violent, they become uncontrollable, even to their owners. Please, your Pearl needs to be immediately enrolled in this program." ** _

** "Get Out." **

Ruby shook her head and backed away, this was a gem horror story. Pearls could feel after all, only no one cared about the sick experiments being performed on them. Only caring for the lawsuit that would follow.

_** "I apologize, but I really-" ** _

** "GET OUT!" **

Rose snarled, slamming her shield into the ground, causing the ship to quake. Pearl cried out at the noise and scrambled away. Roses eyes went soft, watching as her poor Pearl shivered and backed away into a distant corner of the room. Rose’s eyes never left Pearl. Angry as she was, she allowed her voice to soften so that she wouldn’t put her Pearl into greater distress.

" **Both of you leave, or I will find my sword and run you through, believe me. Just go..."**

_** "But the clutch is still legally ours, you must relinquish them when the time comes!" ** _

Rhodolite cried. Ruby had been tugging her back since Rose's outburst, but now she abandoned her altogether.

** "I have not forgotten, say another word and I will shatter you. How foolish you are to test me, considering you've lost your Ruby, little one." **

Shakened, Rhodolite slipped away.

* * *

Rose never wanted a clutch again, how could she? In order to assuage her own feelings of loneliness , she greedily forced her Pearl, who had done nothing wrong, to endure this for her own indulgement. Her Pearl... Pearl all along had emotion inside of her, Rose knew it now. Did something need to be shivering and flinching away in fear for her to finally believe that? Even so, it didn't matter to Rose anymore. If you have to question whether or not it can experience pain, than there must be something inside worth defending. All along she questioned whether that flicker of life in Pearl's voice signified something greater, only to chalk it up as her own foolish desires for a companion. Rose knew she’d never forgive herself, the way Pearl kept away and cowered in her presence only testified to just how cruel she was. 

Pearl had lost the fight in her to defend her clutch. She no longer bothered to fend off intruders. She allowed Rose in the room, never straying from that corner she backed herself into. Rose would stay, quietly listening as they both breathed in tandom and carefully watched over the gem. Pearl was so dragged down by the weight of the crystals that had grown huge on her frail body, she could no longer fit through the doorway. Rose would watch silently until her grief became too much, hurrying away to leave her Pearl alone once more.

* * *

One day , Rose sat in the library to draft her reports, pausing when Pearl walked in. Not once did she spare a look at Rose, but grabbed a book off the shelf and walked away.

_ Her body entirely free from the weight of her clutch. _

A cold wash of dread filtered over Rose, Pearl shouldn't have been alone for something as taxing as extraction.

Rose, in her haste to follow, didn’t even sign off her terminal. She caught up with Pearl at her office, Pearl entered first. If she had noticed Rose followed, she never acknowledged it. Rose waited outside until she heard a melodious voice from across the door.

_ With a heavy heart, she opened the doors to her office. _

Inside, Pearl had a book cracked open on her knees. Innocently she read a story aloud to sickly-pale crystal that rested in her lap, warm in the nest she had made.

** Around her laid six shattered Pearls with spears pierced through the heart of all. **

* * *

* * *

* * *


End file.
